The NFL quietly handed one of America’s most-watched cultural moments to a global reggaeton star, announcing Bad Bunny as the headliner for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show on February 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. That decision was presented as a celebration of diversity and culture, but to many fans it feels like the league is chasing overseas eyeballs instead of serving the American audience that built it.
Sage Steele pointed out exactly what too many in the mainstream media refuse to say: this pick isn’t primarily about giving fans a great show, it’s about expanding markets and checking off cultural boxes. Steele bluntly told Newsmax the selection looks engineered by people whose priorities don’t align with everyday NFL fans, and she highlighted Roc Nation’s influence in the booking process.
That influence isn’t imaginary — Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has been the NFL’s live music entertainment strategist since 2019, a partnership that includes consulting on Super Bowl halftime talent and advancing the league’s social initiatives. When entertainment executives with strong political muscles are hired to shape America’s biggest live event, you should expect decisions guided more by branding and politics than by what loyal American viewers want to see.
Conservatives aren’t attacking Bad Bunny as a person so much as pointing out an obvious double standard: the artist has publicly suggested he won’t do mainland U.S. tour dates over fears of immigration enforcement, yet he’s being trotted out for the most American of stages. That awkward reality raises legitimate questions about whether the league is rewarding political posturing while sidelining the fans who pay the bills.
The backlash has been fierce and bipartisan in tone, with critics from the right calling the choice “absolutely ridiculous” and accusing the NFL of selling out to global elites rather than honoring its domestic audience. When even high-profile figures and former presidents are left scratching their heads, the league should take note that cultural credibility matters more than window dressing.
Fans, advertisers, and team owners shouldn’t be silent while the NFL’s entertainment arm drifts into identity signaling and corporate grandstanding. If the league wants to survive as America’s game, it will start booking halftime shows that respect the tastes and values of the American people who built the sport. The choice to elevate spectacle and global optics over the loyal, hard-working fans of this country is a business decision — and one that will be judged at the box office and on game day.
